AFLW 2024: St Kilda defender Serene Watson didn’t know Nick Dal Santo
An in-form St Kilda defender has confessed to a hilarious first meeting with a club great after arriving at Moorabbin.
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Teammates now describe her as a “Saints nuff”, but Serene Watson didn’t even know her famous new coach when she arrived at Moorabbin from Gold Coast ahead of last season.
Watson, who has emerged as one of the game’s top defenders this season, had some trouble recognising Nick Dal Santo as a club great when she joined St Kilda as part of a five-way mega trade.
The 22-year-old, who was added to the Saints’ leadership group this year and holds an important role in the club’s Danny Frawley Centre as community co-ordinator, had to delve into the history books after her Queensland upbringing involved very little AFL viewing.
“I grew up watching rugby league, so when I came down and Nick Dal Santo was the coach, I didn’t actually know who he was,” Watson said.
“Everyone always has a laugh about that. Working at the Danny Frawley Centre now and having that connection, and learning much more about the depth of history the Saints have – it’s a special club to be part of.”
Watson is leading the Saints for intercept possessions and averaging a career high 17 disposals and four marks across halfback, taking seven grabs as they beat GWS by 34 points to snap a three-game losing streak last week.
Ahead of her 50th game against Melbourne at RSEA Park on Sunday, she said she had emerged from the compressed period of the season in far better shape than expected.
“I’m definitely holding up a lot better than I thought I would, to be honest,” Watson said.
“We’re all doing a bit more recovery than we normally would.
Nutrition, hydration and sleep – we’ve probably ramped those things up a lot more than we have before.”
An inaugural Gold Coast player after joining the Suns’ academy at 15, Watson said she could not picture leaving Melbourne as her family began to permanently relocate to Victoria.
“I love it down here. My family has pretty much moved down here now, and my partner’s family is down here as well,” she said.
“Melbourne’s home to me, and I couldn’t see myself anywhere else. I love the position that I’m in at the moment, and the club’s position.”
Playing with star forward and former junior teammate Jesse Wardlaw was also bringing joy to Watson on the field.
“We’ve known each other since we were 16, so we’ve had quite a long history of friendship,” Watson said.
“I’m just so proud of the way (Wardlaw has) handled herself, especially this season. She’s taken leaps and bounds to ensure our forward line is growing.
“She’s so exciting to watch, and I’m just glad that pre-season ended, because playing on her was not fun at all.”
The Saints will have star on-baller Jaimee Lambert at their disposal against the Demons after her one-match ban for rough conduct was overturned at the tribunal on Thursday.
Lambert had been suspended for a dumping tackle on GWS star Alyce Parker on Tuesday night, but the Saints successfully argued for the charge to be dismissed.
Originally published as AFLW 2024: St Kilda defender Serene Watson didn’t know Nick Dal Santo
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